About Project Coqui.

Our journey began when an upcoming visit home to Ponce turned into the disaster of a lifetime. We have been committed ever since to provide what we could for the rebuilding of our native island of Puerto Rico.

We believe that the rebuilding of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands presents a unique opportunity to leverage the internet to provide unprecedented access to education, medical assistance, economic opportunity, services and personal connections.

Working with partners on the ground in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, our team has conducted four humanitarian missions providing water filters, food, generators, satellite phone access, computers and cash donations. Through schools, clinics, and local governments, we are leveraging the resources and talents of the tech community to match local needs.

We have been collaborating with “People Centered Internet” (PCI), a global collaboration of government, industry, and academia. Our vision for Puerto Rico is to foster innovation, provide tools and knowledge, and to experiment with network-oriented models that will enable and empower communities to rise from poverty, resulting in job creation and economic growth.

The overarching philosophy of this effort is that the impacted community must identify needs and provide the vision, while public, private and nonprofit efforts can respond in a way that achieves the promise of a digital economy while respecting local customs, culture, and traditions. We also believe that today’s response can pave the way for evidence-based assessment of policy effectiveness over time.